Excerpts from the Journal of Park Holland

The Court attempted a setting at Worcester soon after and met
with much fate as the Court did at Northampton -
As the County conventions were not disolved but grew better
organized they had a general Meeting by deligates or otherway
and conclud in their Wisdom that it was best to stop the Supreme
Court this they verry justly concluded would make a General
Uproar (if we may so term it) through the whole Commonwealth
and at this council or convention meeting they began to think
it would be a searious matter before it ended and concluded to come
to the choice of some Officer to take the Command and they choose
Cap^t. Daniel Shays for a Commander in Chief and sundry other
officers of different grades - The General Court was now
now setting in Boston and finding that all legall proceeding
had come to an entire stand and the Mob or discontented party
was daly increasing and all Law & Government seemed to
be drawing to a close The General Court thought it necessary
without loss of time to Raise an Army of sufficient Force to quell
the Rioters at one Bold Strok before they should gain
grater Strength accordingly they Voted to raise an Army of Eight
Thousand Men to be properly Officered and to be attend with a Sufficient
Artillery this was imediately don and the command given to
General Lincoln an Old & experienced Officer in the Revolutionary
War - the other officers necessary were taken from the Militia
spetially appointed for that purpose & also the Number of Men
that each Captain should rais and from such Towns as were
named to them in their Orders These Troops wer raised and
& equiped and began their March to the place of Randezvois at
Worcester some time in December I was appointed to take the Company to be raised in
the Town of Petersham Athol & Rutland each Town to furnish
a certain number these were imedeally raised by Voluntary Inlistment
I had enlisted as Private Soldiers Thirteen Old Comissioned Officers
and among others was General Rufus Putnam in whose Regiment